About body measurements
Body Fat
The human body is made up of, amongst other things, a percentage of fat. Body fat is vital for a healthy, functioning body,
protects vital organs, helps regulate body temperature, stores vitamins and helps the body sustain itself when food is scarce.
However, too much body fat or indeed too little body fat can damage to your health. It is difficult to gauge how much body fat
we have in our bodies simply by looking at ourselves in the mirror. This is why it is important to measure and monitor your body
fat percentage.
Body fat percentage gives you a better measure of fitness than weight alone since weight loss could mean you are losing muscle
mass rather than fat or you could still have a high percentage of fat even when a smart body scale indicates “normal weight.”
Body Water
Body water is the single most important component of body weight. It represents over half of your total weight and almost two
thirds of your lean body mass (predominantly muscle). Water performs a number of important roles in the body: All the cells in
the body, whether in the skin, glands, muscles, brain or anywhere else, can only function properly if they have enough water.
Water also plays a vital part in regulating the body’s temperature balance, particularly through perspiration. The combination of
your weight and fat measurement could appear to be ‘normal’ but your body hydration level could be insufficient for healthy
living.
Muscle Mass
According to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), lean muscle mass may decrease by nearly 50 percent between
the age of 20 and 90. If you do nothing with it, you’re losing muscle and increasing fat. It is also important to know your muscle
mass % during weight reduction. At rest, the body burns approximately 110 additional calories for each kilo of muscle gained.
Benefits of gaining muscle mass include:
• Reversing the decline in strength, bone density and muscle mass with aging
• Maintenance of flexible joints
Bone Mass
Regular exercise and a balanced diet can help maintain healthy bones. Like muscle, bone is a living tissue that can respond to
exercise by becoming stronger. For most people, bone mass peaks in their thirties. Then people begin to lose bone. Regular
exercise can help prevent that loss. (Calcium and vitamin D, good sources of which are dairy products, green leafy vegetables
and fish, contribute to healthy bones). The bone mass readings given by this product are an estimation of the amount of bone
in your body. Those with osteoporosis or low bone densities may not get accurate estimations. If you have any concern
regarding your bones please consult your physician.